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(04/18/18 9:00am)
The women’s lacrosse team learned a valuable word this past weekend: grit. No. 8 Middlebury clawed its way back to a victory after being down by four goals to Nescac rival No. 11 Trinity twice on Saturday, April 14. The Panthers kept their home crowd on their toes in what made for an exciting, and at times too exciting, game ending with a 14–8 score in the host’s favor. And they bounced back from their first Nescac loss to Colby last weekend, when the Mules dominated the Panthers in at the beginning of both halves on their way to a 14–12 upset.
The back-and-forth affair was another storied matchup between two of the Nescac’s perennial powerhouses in women’s lacrosse, since the two programs have combined to win 13 of the 17 Nescac championships in conference history. Not coincidentally, Kate Livesay ’03 played on three of Middlebury’s eight championship teams, from 2001 to 2003, then coached Trinity to four of its five championship teams, before returning to Vermont to capture one at her alma mater in 2016 in her second year as the Panthers’ head coach.
“Trinity has been one of our rivals over the years, so this game has a special place in our hearts,” said Hayden Garrett ’20. “Kate Livesay came back to Middlebury after coaching at Trinity for a number of years, so there’s yet another thing fueling us to beat Trinity. This year’s sideline was the most enthusiastic sideline I have ever been a part of, and I know that being loud helps fuel everyone on the field. The momentum of goal after goal in the second half allowed us to keep pushing until we left the field with 10 unanswered goals.”
Trinity has had the slight edge in the previous five seasons of this matchup, taking five out of the eight games during that time, but Middlebury won the only matchup last season 10–9 in double overtime and avenged a regular season loss two years ago with wins in the Nescac and NCAA championship games.
The Panthers got off to a rocky start when the visitors quickly seized on the gaps in the Middlebury defense and put up four tallies in the first 10:01 of Saturday’s contest, claiming the foreign field as their own territory.
But there is a reason they play 60 minutes, not 10. Hollis Perticone ’18 fired up her teammates when she put her team on the board and got them back in the game mentally. Perticone had been out for three days of practice due to a virus, but a lack of stamina was nowhere to be seen on the field as she sparked the momentum shift for her teammates. Knowing that her games were numbered as a senior captain preparing to enter her final postseason, she would not let her sickness be an excuse for another Nescac defeat.
Kirsten Murphy ’21 continued her outstanding debut in the blue-and-white with her 15th goal of the season, and Trinity matched her goal to keep Middlebury at an arm’s length. Emily Barnard ’20 and Murphy ignored any obstacles Trinity placed in their way to bring Middlebury within one, which was as close as Middlebury got in the first half. Trinity scored once more in the first 30 minutes and led 6–4 at halftime. Before the game, Livesay certainly would not have been happy to trail by two at that point, but in that moment, she must have been thrilled after her team’s disastrous start.
The beginning of the second half reminded everyone at Kohn Field of the game’s first 10 minutes. Trinity scored the first two goals within the first nine minutes of action. But they began to relax too soon — far too soon.
Something switched in Middlebury’s mindset. It all started with Erin Nicholas ’21 scoring on a free-position shot almost midway through the second half. Murphy followed two minutes later to complete her hat trick, creating her own opportunity by breezing past multiple Trinity defenders. Perticone and Georgia Carroll ’18 then tied the score.
Less than four minutes earlier, Trinity led by four, but they would never lead again. Murphy notched her fourth goal of the game to take the lead three minutes later.
Then Perticone, looking more than healthy, assisted Casey O’Neill ’19 on her first goal of the game. Nicholas put home her ninth goal of the season to bring Middlebury ahead 11–8.
After a little more than six minutes without scoring, which seemed like an eternity after the Panthers’ scoring spree to take the lead, Middlebury’s second-leading scorer, Emma McDonagh ’19, scored her first of the game to extend the lead to four goals. Then Jenna McNicholas ’19 added insult to injury by scoring back-to-back goals in the last three minutes to cap off Middlebury’s remarkable turnaround. At the end of 60 minutes, the scoreboard read Middlebury 14, Trinity eight. And the Panthers’ comeback against their conference rivals was complete.
Middlebury’s win came without defender and two-time All-Nescac performer Evie Keating ’18, who sat out the game because of an injury. Emma Johns ’20 got some of the playing time in Keating’s absence and helped the Panthers clamp down on the Bantams in the second half.
“Evie is currently working through an SI joint injury that she sustained over spring break,” said Garrett. “Not having her on the field has been difficult, as we have had to readjust how we play our defense, but even though she is not presently on the field, her leadership is still so impactful on our team, and I know that she will be back on the field soon and it will be as if she were never injured.”
Julia Keith ’20 posted another strong start in the cage, making nine saves compared to Trinity’s four.
Not only did the win give Livesay and her team bragging rights over her former team, it also kept Middlebury ahead of Trinity in the Nescac standings. The Bantams fell to 5–3 and a fourth-place tie with Bowdoin in the conference, and Middlebury moved to 6–1, half a game behind Tufts and a game behind Amherst in the standings.
Middlebury will square off with No. 6 Tufts on their turf in Medford, Massachusetts, on Saturday, April 21, with an opportunity to leap the Jumbos and move into second place in the Nescac. In fact, the Panthers control their own destiny. If they win their last three games, they will win the Nescac regular-season championship because they beat first-place Amherst earlier this season. After their matchup against Tufts, Middlebury will host Hamilton on Sunday, April 22, in a rescheduled game from earlier this season, and then will travel to Williams on Wednesday, April 25 for the last game of the regular season.
(04/18/18 9:00am)
“Going in with four in a row is a great start to the second half of our season,” said A.J. Kucinski ’20 last Saturday after the men’s lacrosse team knocked off Trinity 13–12 in Hartford, Connecticut.
It’s interesting that Kucinski said “second half of our season” when only three games remained. He, along with the rest of the team, is clearly unbothered by some of the results from earlier in the season. Confident and shooting for gold, the Panthers are looking forward to ending an exciting season of lacrosse on a strong note to set themselves up for the perfect playoff story.
For the first time in two years, the Middlebury men’s lacrosse team is riding a five-game win streak after picking up road wins at Springfield (6–5), Trinity (4–8), and Endicott (4–10). The Panthers inched their way across the finish line in the first two matches, beating Springfield 12–11 on a game-winning goal by Kucinski and holding off a Trinity comeback attempt to win 13–12. On Tuesday, April 17, they beat Endicott 11–9, outscoring the Gulls 4–1 in the fourth quarter to upend the hosts.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, the hosts jumped out to a 4–0 lead in the first quarter before Henry Riehl ’18 managed to reel one back for the Panthers with just under eight minutes on the clock. Springfield added a fifth before Riehl assisted Chase Gorree ’20 to bring the Panthers within three by the end of the first quarter.
But then, in the second quarter, the Panthers gained a strong hold on the game by outscoring the Pride 6–1. The foes exchanged goals early in the quarter before the Panthers rattled off five unanswered goals to take an 8–6 lead into the locker room.
After a low-scoring third quarter when each team scored one goal, the hosts regained the lead by rattling off three straight goals in the first nine minutes of the final quarter. Just as quickly as their lead disappeared, the Panthers scored twice in 36 seconds to go ahead 11–10. But once more, the Pride answered back, tying the game at 11. Then came the game-winner.
“We had a four-on-three fast break, and we mishandled the point pass,” Riehl recalled. “A.J. reacted immediately, picked up a gritty ground ball, and fired a shot high past the goalie. A.J. made a huge play picking up the ground ball and running through hard checks from a physical Springfield defense.”
And with 59 seconds remaining, the Panthers went ahead 12–11, a lead that held for a Middlebury victory.
Riehl did not mention how the game-winning play began, but Kucinski certainly did not forget that he ended up with the ball on a play that started with Chase Midgley ’19 making a save and clearing the danger with an outlet pass.
“It was just a great team play. We have a group of guys who love to compete — and compete for each other — and a great defense that has the ability to convert defense into offense,” Kucinski mentioned with regard to his game-winner. “We have complete confidence in each other and were all just playing fast.”
On Saturday, April 14, Middlebury faced off with Trinity in Hartford, Connecticut. The Bantams entered the matchup with a 1–6 record in the conference, so the Panthers needed to pick up a win against one of the weakest teams in the Nescac, where no games are easy.
Middlebury scored four goals in each of the first two quarters, taking an 8–5 lead into halftime. And in the third quarter both teams scored three times to keep the difference at three goals heading into the final quarter.
After Riehl scored his second goal of the game to give Middlebury a 12–8 lead, Trinity drove home three consecutive goals to bring themselves within one. Riehl scored his third goal to put Middlebury ahead by two, but Trinity scored with 48 seconds left and won the ensuing faceoff, giving them one shot to force overtime.
As time wound down, the Bantams entered the Middlebury zone and fired a shot. Midgley activated his clutch gene once again to provide the Panthers with a crucial save to stave off the hosts.
With 13 goals on the evening, the game against Trinity saw the Panthers produce their highest-scoring game of the season.
“I think in the Trinity game, we finally saw everything click in the first half,” Riehl said. “With that being said, I think we have more in us and will continue to improve and generate more high-quality shots.”
Even with their best scoring output of the season, the Panthers eked out the win by one goal, the third straight game they won by such a slim margin. The team has won a total of five games this season by one in comparison to last year, when they won one game by one goal. Ironically, that win was against Springfield.
“We have gained some great experience these past few games but also learned about what we need to improve to maintain our leads,” captain Nick Peterson ’18 said.
“These narrow wins are definitely good prep for playoff games,” Riehl added. “These fourth quarters prepare us to play with composure when down by a goal or tied with just a few minutes to play.”
The Panthers are now looking to wrap up their season with a possible seven-game win streak. Their final games will be against Tufts on Saturday, April 21, and Williams on Wednesday, April 25.
With their two final regular-season games at home against top-four opponents, the Panthers will look to end their season on a high note heading into the playoffs.
“Being able to play any game on Youngman Field is an honor,” Kucinski stated. “Finishing the regular season off with two straight home league games is very exciting, and we are looking forward to every challenge ahead.”
(04/18/18 9:00am)
The sixth-ranked men’s tennis team stunned previously undefeated No. 2 Bowdoin on Saturday, April 14, dismantling the Polar Bears 8–1 in the Nelson Recreation Center. They showed no mercy on their opponents on Sunday, April 15 either, efficiently shutting out Colby-Sawyer and downing No. 26 Skidmore 8–1 to move to 12–3 this season.
The Bowdoin matchup presented the Panthers with an opportunity to defeat one of the nation’s best teams in Bowdoin, after falling to No. 6 Claremont-Mudd Scripps and No. 5 Williams the previous two weekends, and prove they belong in the conversation of the nation’s best teams.
To give some perspective on Bowdoin’s season, they were undefeated coming into Middlebury on Saturday. This is a team that won the Nescac and made a run to the NCAA Final Four last year.
Their record table for single-season wins is riddled with names of current players, including current junior Grant Urken, who set the Bowdoin record for wins in a single season last year with 31. They have had four players named as ITA All-Americans in the past two years. This year, they’ve beaten two top-five ranked teams, and this is reflected in their national ranking. To put it lightly, this is certainly an era of strong men’s tennis teams at Bowdoin College.
On Saturday, Middlebury dominated that same program. Middlebury’s stellar day began in doubles, when they won all three matches to set the tone in Nelson. After suffering a few setbacks against top teams despite what is usually an exceptionally strong doubles core, the Panthers doubles pairings struck back.
Of his own pairing with Peter Martin ’19, Timo van der Geest ’18 said, “After having two tough doubles matches at third doubles last weekend against Williams and Tufts, it was great to see us bounce back from that and get a very close win against Bowdoin.” Van der Geest and Martin have been each other’s main partners this spring, and they’ve been a mainstay in the lineup for the Panthers, playing all but one match together, all the while compiling a 10–6 record. They showed their chemistry well on Saturday, besting a familiar Bowdoin duo at No. 3 doubles 9–8 (7–2). “It felt really good to get the doubles win on Saturday; that’s the third time in a row that we’ve played against that same doubles team from Bowdoin, and the matches have always been pretty tight,” Martin said.
The rest of the doubles proved to be relatively routine finishes dominated by the Panthers’ singles studs. Lubomir Cuba ’19 and Kyle Schlanger ’19 combined for their 11th win of the year in first doubles, compared to just three losses, while William de Quant ’18 and Noah Farrell ’19 picked up their fourth win in five matches together in second doubles to give Middlebury momentum heading into singles.
“To be able to win all three doubles matches gave us great momentum to go into singles,” said van der Geest. After finding themselves on the other side two weekends ago when they lost all three doubles matches to rival Williams, Middlebury reversed that feeling on Saturday. Martin, who, like van der Geest, did not play in singles, remained focused on the team. “It definitely felt great to help the team get out to a big lead, which always seems to help give our guys a lot of confidence going into singles,” he said.
Confidence is a word van der Geest also used to describe the team sentiment on Saturday. “I think the Bowdoin win solidified the confidence we still had in our entire team, even after we had suffered two tough losses to CMS and Williams,” said the senior. “We knew we have the capabilities to beat any team in the country, and this reaffirmed that. However, our season so far has shown us that we have to show up every single time we go out to play.”
Playing No. 1 singles, Cuba showed up against Bowdoin’s Urken on Saturday, winning big in the third set after getting shut out in the second. Cuba has bounced back after back-to-back singles losses against his opponents from CMS and Williams, winning at Tufts last weekend and then twice this weekend.
“We definitely demonstrated that we can be a really tough team at every spot in the lineup when we are playing well,” said assistant coach Andrew Thomson ’10, convinced Middlebury’s depth is exceptional this season.
The rest of the singles players impressed, to Thomson’s point, but head coach Bob Hansen had a lot to say about his seniors in particular. “We had our senior celebration after the Bowdoin match, which was very fun and a fitting and well-deserved occasion, as the seniors went 5–0 against Bowdoin, leading the team to victory over a very strong team,” he said. He certainly had his eyes on de Quant and Schlanger, who won at No. 3 and No. 4 singles respectively, in addition to the doubles wins they and van der Geest picked up.
While the seniors shined on Saturday, Middlebury’s first-years had their moments as well. Andre Xiao ’21 made quick work at the No. 6 spot to move to 11–2 this spring, while Nate Eazor ’21 couldn’t come back after a tight 7–5 loss in the first set, suffering just his third loss of the spring. Both players have worked their way into Hansen’s regular lineup in their first seasons in the blue-and-white, as demonstrated by their presence against the nation’s No. 2 team.
The 8–1 match was not a walkover like the final score indicates, and the Panthers had to battle at every position to secure such a definitive win. Members of the squad were ready to learn from the match even in the face of what looked like a blowout on paper, very aware that any regular season win is a loss if they grow complacent afterwards. “It definitely meant a lot for us to prove we can put the pieces together against a tough and well-coached Bowdoin team and come away with a victory. Even though the final score was 8–1, the match was extremely competitive, and we will have to make sure to be prepared in the event we play them again,” said Thomson.
Hansen attributes the success to the Panthers’ preparation, and was quick to look forward to more improvements before their next match. “The weekend was a result of strong practices all week, and I look forward to another strong week of work heading into the very stiff competition next weekend. It was definitely taxing but should also really prepare us for the challenges ahead,” he added.
After giving some fresh bodies a chance against Colby-Sawyer and proceeding to down them 9–0, the Panthers put an exclamation point on the weekend with an 8–1 win against No. 26 Skidmore, during which they dropped only two sets total. The Panthers barely have a chance to relax, as next weekend presents another exciting opportunity.
Thomson was happy with the wins, but said they are not satisfied with anything just yet. “Now that we know we can play at an extremely high level on our home courts, we have a great opportunity this coming weekend to try to replicate our effort on the road versus three tough opponents, including No. 1 Emory,” he said. The team remembers the close losses to Williams and CMS well as they look forward to a shot at the top team in the country, but Hansen said he recognizes the advantages that come with the Panthers’ adversity thus far. “I like that we are building and that it has not all gone smoothly so far. Overall [I am] very proud of our strong, courageous and connected effort this weekend,” he said.
The team will need another courageous effort this weekend against the 2017 national champion, Emory (13–2), whom the Panthers will meet at Trinity (5–6, 0–5 in the Nescac) on Saturday, April 21 after a match with the Bantams that morning. However, little separates the top six teams in the country right now. Emory has had close calls with Chicago and CMS, as well as a loss against the same DII Azusa-Pacific team that Middlebury pushed in a close match. The match is up for grabs, so do not be surprised if the Panthers come out of the weekend having made a case for No. 1 in the country.
(04/18/18 9:00am)
The Middlebury softball team swept a doubleheader last Friday, April 13, against Hamilton in a Nescac battle, as both games got called after the fifth inning by the mercy rule.
With the wins over Hamilton, the Panthers are back in the hunt for a conference tournament spot.
“Winning these two games against Hamilton was really important for our Nescac play,” senior Kati Daczkowski ’18 said. “Any time we get to compete against another Nescac team, it’s always intense.”
During the first game of the series, Middlebury blanked Hamilton 8–0.
In the first inning, Middlebury got three runners across the plate to take an early 3–0 lead, as a handful of players had a hand in the action.
Two Panthers were on base when senior captain Allison Quigley ’18’s double sent them home; after the initial two runs scored, a sacrifice fly by Kaylee Gumm ’21 finished off first-inning scoring.
“Our offense really proved strong against Hamilton. We were able to load the bases and get the hits to send them home. It was a total-team effort,” Daczkowski added.
The total-team effort continued into the second inning.
An Olivia Bravo ’20 triple and a sacrifice fly by Daczkowski put another two runs on the board for Middlebury. By the end of the second, the Panthers were up five against their competitor.
By the time the game reached the bottom of the fifth, the Panthers still led 5–0 and had Hamilton on the hook for a slaughter-rule finish.
Emily Morris ’21 took advantage of a wild pitch by stealing home to put Middlebury up 6–0. Another two Middlebury scores ended the game for Hamilton, as the Panthers won by an eight-run scoring rule.
Going into the second game of the double header, the Panthers used their confidence both in the field and in the batter’s box to come out with a second eight-run mercy rule finish, this time winning 10–2.
Unlike the first game of the doubleheader, Hamilton started off the scoring in the second game.
But Hamilton’s lead did not last for long, as the Panthers retook the lead in the second.
Melanie Mandell ’20 was driven in by a Kaylee Gumm d’19 double to put the Panthers on the board.
A string of Middlebury hits and runs scored made the score 5–1 in the third inning. By the end of the fourth, the Panthers added enough runs to be up by nine, 10–1. Even though Hamilton scored on a Middlebury error in the top of the fifth, the 10–2 finish was enough for the Continentals to plead mercy.
The Panthers have yet to play their third game against Hamilton, as the third game in the series was postponed due to weather. Next, the Panthers will look to beat another Nescac powerhouse, the Williams Ephs, on Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21.
(04/11/18 8:51pm)
As the season is still in its early stages for the men’s and women’s outdoor track team, the runners are trying their best to build up momentum. Their early successes will be crucial for confidence building.
“We definitely exceeded our expectations,” Nick Hendrix ’20 said in reference to some of the Panthers’ previous meets. “To get off a flight on Friday and then win the PLNU Invitational the next day was a fantastic way to start the season. We had some excellent individual performances from some of our more experienced athletes, and the freshmen had some really encouraging performances.”
The spring trip, while challenging, has the track and field teams feeling prepared for the meets ahead.
“I think everyone was a bit tired going into the second meet after a week of hard training in the sun,” said Hendrix in reference to the California Collegiate Open, in which the Panthers partook over the spring trip. “We held our own against some high-caliber competition, including some DI schools, so I think this bodes very well for us going into the rest of the season.”
“People came in with a positive attitude, which helped us perform well,” added Katie Glew ’21.
All of this is good news for the Panthers, as the conference meet and DIII New Englands are only a few short weeks away. Due to the pace of the schedule, there is no time to waste. Improvements and getting the team to bond together will have to occur quickly.
On Saturday, April 7, the Panthers continued their success as they participated in the Amherst Spring Fling. Both the men and women came in fourth in total fields of seven teams.
The men were able to score 49 points at the meet, which WPI won.
Some important performers include Nathan Hill ’20, who was able to come in first in the 1500-meter race with a time of 4:00.40. In this race, Will Meyer ’20 came in fifth with a time of 4:04.00.
A time of 15:23.44 netted Theo Henderson ’20 a first-place finish in the 5000-meter race. Henderson was followed by Henry Fleming ’20, who had a time of 15:38.79 to get fourth place. Also, Minhaj Rahman ’19 threw a distance of 51.80 meters to capture first in the hammer-throw event.
The women’s team amassed 72 points, 17 behind the first place finishers, WPI.
There were several important performers for the women’s team. In the 400-meter dash, Gretchen McGrath ’21 and Kai Milici ’21 placed sixth and seventh, respectively. McGrath had a time of 1:03.30, and Milici had a time of 1:03.38. Abigail Nadler ’19 and Read Allen ’18 were able to capture the top two spots of the 5000-meter run with times of 17:47.34 and 18:12.81, respectively. Also, Panthers placed in each of the top three spots in the shot-put event. Helene Rowland ’20 got first-place honors by throwing 11.58 meters. Rowland was followed by Lauren Boyd ’21, whose toss went 10.46 meters, and Kiera Dowell ’20, who threw 9.88 meters.
“The team’s level of performance was good considering the elements,” said Meyer, the fifth-place finisher in the men’s 1500-meter race. “It was windy and in the high 30s for most of the day. We had a couple personal bests and performed well relative to the competition, winning several events.”
The excitement for what the outdoor season has to offer is growing, and hopefully that will lead to success.
“We have a really strong and supportive team this year,” said Glew, adding, “We’re definitely capable of accomplishing a lot this season.”
The track and field teams will host the Panther Spring Invitational tomorrow and Saturday, April 13–14. The festivities tomorrow are slated to begin at noon. Catch the Panthers as they hope to stay on track and continue to get settled into the season.
(04/11/18 8:41pm)
Last week, Middlebury baseball hit the road to take on the Wesleyan in the Panthers’ second Nescac series of the season. The previous week’s strong performance, in which the Panthers took two out of three from Williams, gave the team a boost of confidence going into the series. Unfortunately, it seems the Panthers were not able to channel the same fierceness and their high morale into last week’s games, as the Cardinals broke out the brooms.
The series kicked off with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 7, during which the Cardinals took a 1–0 lead right off the bat in the first inning. Middlebury was able to hold the Cardinals for the remainder of the game with strong defensive play on the mound from junior captain Colby Morris ’19, who managed to throw out eight Cardinals and let up only one run on four hits. The Panthers found little luck at the plate though, tallying 10 strikeouts and zero hits.
Errors and walks killed any shot the Panthers had in the second game of the series. The second inning was especially bad, as the Cardinals scored six of their 12 runs, registering only one hit in the process. The Panthers put up a strong fight, scoring four in the seventh inning and then four in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Cardinals, and the game ended in a 12–8 loss for the Panthers. Sam Graf ’19, Brendan Donahue ’18, Henry Strmecki ’21 and Gray Goolsby ’20 all got on base and scored for Middlebury, and both Justin Han ’20 and Brooks Carroll ’20 finished with a pair of runs.
Will Oppenheim ’21 took a hard loss on the mound, letting up the six runs in the second inning. “I really need to be able to repeat my mechanics more so I can throw more strikes and go deeper into games and walk fewer people,” Oppenheim said.
However, this performance will likely be only a small bump in the road for Oppenheim. In his short time playing at the college level, the first-year currently sports a 3.14 ERA and 13 strikeouts, third only to captains Morris and Rob Erikson ’18, who have fanned 30 and 14, respectively.
Sunday’s get-out-of-town game brought a similar outcome for the Panthers. The Cardinals were again the first to score, putting up an impressive seven runs in the first inning. They then tacked on two more in the third and another in the seventh. Middlebury seemed to answer, scoring six runs by the end of the sixth inning, but they were not able to come back and fell 10–6.
According to Han, the team was well aware of Wesleyan’s skill going into the series and took measures to prepare for the challenge.
“We had scouting reports for Wesleyan’s pitchers to prepare for the weekend. We knew their guys would throw a lot of balls and [that] we would need to be selective at the plate,” Han said. The Panthers tried not to concern themselves too much with the other team’s past success, however.
“We just focused on playing our game,” explained Morris.
Understandably, the team’s vibe coming off this tough series was starkly different from that of the previous week’s games.
“Mentally we were confident after playing Williams and had faith in our lineup top to bottom,” said Morris — a readiness echoed by Han.
“We were very confident after a strong performance against Williams the previous weekend,” Han said. “We were prepared and ready to compete.”
Morris attributes the difference in last week’s performance to a lack of fire.“We didn’t play the whole series with confidence,” said Morris, who added, “we found ourselves on our heels, especially early on in games one and two.”
Despite this, he remains extremely positive and optimistic about what the future holds for the Panthers.
“We aren’t stoked with where we are, but that just makes us hungrier for the next game,” Morris said. “For whatever reason we like being the underdog, and we find ourselves in that familiar place again. People are going to doubt us after we doubted ourselves at times this past weekend, but it’s a privilege to play this game. So, regardless of our position, our mentality is for them to bring it on.”
Additionally, the team still has their sights set on winning the Nescac championship.
“We will not let a single win or loss deter us from our goal,” a determined Han declared.
After this week’s midweek action (barring weather), the Panthers host Amherst tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. for the first of three-game set.
“I think playing at home will be a huge advantage this week. Traveling definitely takes a toll on us, so being home this weekend will be nice,” Oppenheim said.
(04/11/18 8:39pm)
Travelling south to Massachusetts to take on No. 5 Williams and No. 15 Tufts for their first matches since spring break, the men’s tennis team had a lot to be excited about. For one, Williams recently beat No. 6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who two weekends ago handed Middlebury their first loss of the season against DIII competition. On top of that, standout Noah Farrell ’19 made his return to play his first match of the spring, and Will de Quant ’18 was settling in in his second singles match of the spring. Thus, the Panthers drove to Williamstown with the goal of defending their high national ranking before the new Oracle ITA DIII National Rankings come out.
The Panthers, however, found themselves in a big hole early, losing all three doubles matches. Middlebury, who is 30–12 this spring in doubles, could not convert on any of the closely contested matches. De Quant, who is making his own return to the courts this spring, teamed up with Farrell in his much-anticipated return to action. The two lost in a tiebreak, 9–8 (7–4).
“What separates us from Williams in doubles was just one or two points,” de Quant assured. “Nothing more than that. That is the beauty of sports, and if we take away the most important information from that match and work on key things this week during practice, we will win those points next time and be in a stronger position going into singles.”
He may be right. Timo van der Geest ’18 and Peter Martin ’19 lost by the same close score, while Lubo Cuba ’19 and Kyle Schlanger ’18 went down 9–7 in just their third loss in 13 matches.
De Quant noted that such a 0–3 deficit to start the match can be demoralizing.
“Going down 3–0 by losing two doubles tiebreakers can be a big blow to the morale,” de Quant said.
“Our team displayed a lot of poise and competitive spirit in the face of an 0–3 deficit, and we battled back hard,” assistant coach Andrew Thomson said. De Quant was the first to do so, and in convincing fashion.
“My focus was on inserting as much energy and intensity into the overall match as possible,” de Quant said.
“We really wanted to get a point on the board as quickly as possible to build some momentum, and I knew that If I played focused and intense, I would be able to do that,” de Quant said of his rebounding performance against Williams’ Sachin Raghavan. De Quant must have been focused indeed, having the strongest win of the day with a dominant 6–2, 6–3 victory. Picking up his first win of the spring, de Quant added, “Even though I lost a tight match against CMS, I was happy to be back on court and competing at a high level for the team. After that match, I knew that if I focused on finding my rhythm and patterns again, my confidence would follow. I am enjoying being back out on court and still working to get back to the level of play I know I am capable of. This weekend was a step in the right direction.”
As for steps in the right direction, Farrell in the No. 2 spot was next to finish after de Quant. He came back from a 0–6 loss in the first set to power his way to a win 6–3, 6–3 in the final two sets. The coaching staff as well as the players were clearly anxious to get Farrell back on court. “It was a particular treat to watch [Farrell] back in action and competing with exemplary fight and courage in his three-set comeback victory,” said Thomson. On de Quant, he added, “[he] is also continuing to get healthier and healthier and matched Noah’s focused matchplay against Williams with a rock-solid performance.”
And it wasn’t just those returning from injury who impressed last weekend. De Quant added, “We competed very hard, and guys showed grit and determination down 3–0 against Williams.” Cuba fit this description well. Though he suffered his third loss of the season, he pushed Brian Grodecki to a marathon third-set tiebreak. This put the Panthers down 4–2. Any more singles wins for Williams would seal the match. The next three matches proved incredibly close. Schlanger won the first set in his match at No. 4, but lost the next two, sealing the match for Williams. The dense bottom of Middlebury’s ladder again proved too strong. The Panthers have dominated at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, going 12–2 at both positions. Saturday was no different, as first-year Andre Xiao ’21 picked up an impressive ninth win this spring. Even so, Xiao himself needed a tiebreak to win, and van der Geest rounded out the scoring with a marathon comeback win, 10–8, in the third set. These wins did have significant meaning, assured Thomson, who said, “We are definitely remaining steadfast in our belief that each of these match experiences will bolster our resilience and also [provide] feedback on what we need to work on moving forward to increase the probability of pulling through when it matters most, toward the end of the year.” The final score was 5–4 for the Ephs.
“The team had to bounce back quickly and definitely responded brilliantly, getting a victory over a very tough Tufts team on the road,” Thomson said. The Panthers indeed had little time to waste or worry, with no small task in beating Tufts on the road the very next day. However, they started on the road to redemption early, winning two out of three doubles matches in convincing fashion. Though they struggled at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, the Panthers again dominated down the ladder, winning matches in the fourth through sixth slots, highlighted by a 6–1, 6–2 win by Schlanger.
At No. 1, Cuba also proved unfazed by yesterday’s close defeat and made quick work of Tufts’ Rohan Gupte. De Quant praised the performance of Xiao and Nate Eazor ’21.
“Two freshmen closed out our match against an inspired Tufts team, in difficult conditions and with huge pressure, so there are a lot of great things to take away from this weekend,” de Quant said. “Overall, we are on the right path upwards and have an amazing group of competitors top to bottom, so I am very positive going into the Bowdoin weekend.”
Remaining hopeful and rightfully pleased with the Tufts result, de Quant couldn’t help but make reference to this coming weekend’s slate. Current No. 2 Bowdoin will come over to Middlebury to face the Panthers on their home courts.
With everyone back from injury and in the swing of things, don’t take Midd’s losses to top-ranked CMS and Williams as indicative of a result this weekend. Undefeated Bowdoin has dominated numerous ranked opponents this year, including CMS, but be ready to watch the Panthers shake the rankings up again with their full lineup ready to go.
(04/11/18 3:35pm)
SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH
The college is observing Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) throughout the month of April. The goal of SAAPM is to increase awareness surrounding sexual assault and to engage students in discussions about preventing violence and supporting survivors.
Director of health and wellness Barbara McCall explained that while the events planned for the month used to focus on awareness, they have increasingly begun to address prevention.
“An increased level of base awareness has paved the way for the month to highlight action-oriented themes like violence prevention,” McCall said.
Throughout the month of April, there will be a weekly “Self-Care for Survivors” workshop on Wednesday afternoons. The workshop is aimed at survivors but is open to all.
The month will end with two events hosted by Karen B.K. Chan. Chan is a sex and emotional literacy educator from Toronto, Canada who uses stories, metaphors and diagrams to facilitate productive dialogue and work through difficult conversations about challenging topics. Chan is also known for her accessible style of education and her ability to make people laugh.
On April 17, Chan will host “Sexy Bingo” which will test participants’ sexual health knowledge. The following night, April 18, she will co-lead an event with student activists entitled “Empowerment, Allyship, & Calling In: A Workshop for Activists.” The event will discuss concrete ways in which individuals can work to combat sexual assault.
SAAPM is sponsored by the Office of Health and Wellness Education, Green Dot, the SGA Committee on Sexual and Relationship Respect, Sex Positive Education College Style (SPECS), and the Title IX team.
A complete calendar of events can be found at go/saapm18/.
- Caroline Kapp
SGA PASSES STUDENT TRUSTEE BILL
The Students-Trustees Representation and Engagement Bill passed in the SGA Senate on Sunday with one senator opposed. The bill recommends to the administration that an additional student constituent be added to the College Board of Overseers, that the terms of the student constituents be increased to two years, and that the student constituents be given voting power in the board.
A proposed bylaw amendment which would make Commons Senator positions semester long position passed with three senators opposed and two abstaining. The change will allow students who are studying abroad for part of the year able to participate in SGA.
Opponents to the amendment pointed out that it would be logistically difficult to implement, and that the transition would create confusion. The amendment passed with three opposed and two abstaining. One of the amendment’s cosponsors, Wonnacott Commons Senator Anthony Salas, plans to study abroad next spring.
However, the change will not take effect for another week, since changes to the SGA’s bylaws require that they be revealed to the student body prior to approval.
- Eric Kapner
ALUMNUS AND PROFESSOR NOMINATED FOR PEABODYS
Two members of the Middlebury community — an alumnus and a current professor — were nominated for Peabody Awards on Monday, April 10.
Andrew Ackerman ’13, served as co-producer and cinematographer for Chasing Coral, a Netflix documentary that followed a team of divers, photographers, and scientists as they documented the demise of the world’s coral reefs.
David Miranda Hardy, a professor in the Film & Media Culture department, received a nomination for his Chilean television series Bala Loca, which he co-created, wrote, and produced.
The Peabody Awards are among the most prestigious awards in storytelling, and “represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in electronic media during 2017.” The winners will be announced on Saturday, May 19 in New York.
- Will DiGravio
(04/05/18 1:42am)
MONTPELIER — Last Friday, Vermont’s Senate voted 17-13 to approve a House version of S.55, giving final legislative approval to the expansive gun control bill. The bill will now be passed onto VT Governor Phil Scott, who has said he intends to sign it. This revised legislation will expand background checks for gun purchases, ban bump stocks, raise the minimum age of purchasing a gun to 21, and limit the size of magazines.
The debate over this bill was most contentious with regard to the provisions on magazine restrictions, which were not included in the version of the bill previously approved by the Senate. “This thing was written on the fly,” said Senator Dick Sears, a strong opponent to the provision.
According to the VTDigger, both Sears and Attorney General TJ Donovan expressed concern that this provision will be difficult to enforce because the ban only applies to the sale of such magazines— those already owned will be exempt. Despite this concern, Attorney General Donovan ended up supporting the bill.
S.55 is only one of three recent bills designed to address gun control in Vermont. Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed S.211, commonly known as the “Extreme Risk” bill, which allows police to confiscate firearms from anyone deemed a risk to the safety of themselves or others by a court. The same day, H.422 also passed a final reading in the Senate. H.422 allows police to confiscate firearms from individuals who have received a citation or arrest for domestic violence charges.
Governor Phil Scott has expressed his support of all three of these bills and says that he intends to sign them into law pending review by his attorneys. The shift in Gov. Scott’s tone on gun control is dramatic, as he ran on a platform opposed to such legislation. Reflecting on his intent to sign these bills into law, Gov. Scott noted the importance of such events as the shooting in Parkland, Florida and the attempted shooting in Fair Haven, Vermont in motivating his decision.
He said of the Fair Haven plot, “After reading the affidavit and coming to the conclusion that we weren’t insulated from this type of horrific incident—that this could happen in Vermont— I made a commitment to keep an open mind, let the legislative process work.” Scott maintains, however, that these measures do not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of citizens.
Vermonters, especially students, also played a large role in the passage of this legislation. Clai Lasher-Sommers, the executive director of GunSense Vermont, an organization dedicated to reducing gun violence, told the VTDigger that it was mainly the students who acted in response to Parkland and Fair Haven and whose “involvement has made the difference.” In February, students rallied at the Vermont Statehouse to demand action on gun control. The agitation of students continued, as on Saturday, March 24, both Middlebury and Montpelier held March for Our Lives rallies.
Despite this support, the measures passed by the legislature are far from unanimously supported. In response to the proposed legislation, hundreds of Vermonters gathered at the statehouse last Saturday to protest restrictions on gun ownership. At the rally, the Executive Director of Recoil Magazine, Rob Curtis, began to distribute gun magazines which could be used in weapons such as the AR-15. This protest echoed contention over the clause in S.55 that bans such magazines. Those who received magazines at the protest may keep them in accordance with the new law, which only restricts new purchases.
(04/05/18 1:33am)
MONTPELIER— On March 22, the Vermont State Senate unanimously passed the bill S.260, which would dedicate a committee, as well as other resources, to cleaning up water pollution.
Shortly after the bill was passed, Governor Phil Scott declared his opposition to it, stating, “I’m not familiar exactly with the details of the bill, but if it includes a tax or fee I would be opposed.” However, the bill does not necessarily implement taxes or fees for Vermont residents. Instead, it creates a committee that will look for and study long-term funding initiatives to help reduce water pollution levels.
The estimation for how much it would cost to bring Vermont public waters to the acceptable state and federal clean water level is $25 million, according to VTDigger. In order to achieve this kind of funding, the designated committee would have to either raise revenue, or reduce spending elsewhere within the state’s budget. One main area the bill targets is farming. Part of the money would be used for subsidizing farmers to invest in new technology that reduces their water pollution emissions, as well as fees for farmers that fail to reduce pollution.
The potential for the raise in revenues is the major reason for dissent from Scott. In his letter to the Vermont General Assembly, in which the bill is among 13 that Gov. Scott has deemed “problematic” because of “new or higher taxes or fees,” which he cannot support. Scott expresses that he wishes to find alternative ways for these proposals to pass, without jeopardizing his priority of providing “Vermonters with a break.”
Additionally, the bill allows for Vermont residents to sue state legislators if they feel they are not upholding their jobs. Gov. Scott considers this to “violate of the separation of powers”, as he wrote in his letter to the General Assembly. According to VTDigger, Scott’s administrators believe that citizens ability to sue legislators “will strain state resources and allow everyday citizens to dictate priorities for state agencies.”
Scott admits that something must be done, however, to tackle water pollution, and that long-term funding for this project is needed.
According to the Vermont General Assembly, “[W]ithin Vermont there are 7,100 miles of rivers and streams and 812 lakes and ponds of at least five acres in size.”
By the current assessment of State, “water or water segments indicates that there are: 101 waters or water segments that do not meet the State’s water quality standards for at least one criterion and require a plan for cleanup. 114 waters or water segments that do not meet State water quality standards and that do have a current cleanup plan, but which may not be meeting water quality standards…114 waters or water segments that are stressed, meaning that there are one or more factors or influences that prohibit the water from maintaining a higher quality; and at least 56 waters that are altered due to aquatic nuisance species, meaning that one or more of the designated uses of the water are prohibited due to the presence of aquatic nuisance species.”
The dichotomy between Gov. Scott’s pledge not to raise taxes or fees and the need for control of water pollution— with a need for additional revenue— is stalling the water pollution control that Vermont needs, despite warnings from the Environmental Protection Agency and the national government. Vermont was ordered to enforce agricultural rules and legislation meant to reduce water pollution from farms by 60 percent. By the end of 2017, Vermont was supposed to have identified funding, as well as a plan, for this legislation to be implemented, but the state has yet to do so.
Lynne Hamjian, the deputy director of the Ecosystem Protection Office in the EPA’s New England branch, has told legislators that they would be well advised to implement new farming practices that stem phosphorus pollution. Otherwise, the state could be ordered to take more costly measures.
Vermont is being warned that if the state does not act immediately, the costs are only going to increase. Hamjian emphasizes that if the state does not enforce these regulations now, Vermont could be required to upgrade to wastewater treatment plants—which would cost much more than what the bill S.260 proposes. According to VTDigger, it could instead end up costing Vermonters an additional 25 million to 30 million dollars each year for the next two decades.
Vermont’s water is in immediate and urgent danger with the continuation of water pollution and emissions that poison the pristine aquatic communities and wildlife.
The fight is not over whether this is an issue; it’s over who should pay. Is it the taxpaying citizen of Vermont’s duty? Should it come out of the government’s budget, reducing other government-funded programs? Is it the responsibility of the farmers that are the leading source of water pollution?
With this split, especially between the Governor and the Senate’s views on this bill, it is hard to tell what will happen. The destiny of bill S.260 will continue in the hands of the House, but overall, it must win Governor Scott’s signature to pass.
(04/04/18 8:25pm)
COLLEGE RELEASES CLASS OF 2022 DECISIONS
The college accepted 17.2 percent of its regular decision applicants for the class of 2022. Decisions were released March 27 and offered admission to 1,297 students from a pool of 9,230 total applicants. This is the largest number of applicants in the college’s history and includes a record number of international and domestic students of color.
These accepted students will join the 399 admitted through Middlebury’s early decision processes in December and February. The total 1,696 students represent a slight drop from the 1,753 students accepted last year to the class of 2021. Factoring in early decision admissions, this year’s overall acceptance rate was 18.4 percent, compared with last year’s acceptance rate of 19.7 percent.
Students accepted to the class of 2022 hail from 71 countries and all 50 states, most commonly New York, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Illinois. Middlebury plans to award around $13.5 million in need-based financial aid to 45 percent of the class. The $1 million increase in aid from last year’s allocation of $12.5 million will boost the number of incoming students the College expects to assist by 5 percent.
According to a press release, the college hopes to enroll approximately 610 students in September 2018, followed by 100 in February 2019. The projected class size of about 710 for the classes of 2022 and 2022.5 is consistent with that of previous years. Last year’s combined enrollment of 751 for the classes of 2021 and 2021.5 was larger than expected.
Admitted students are invited to come to campus and learn more about Middlebury during preview days from April 16 to 18.
Regular decision applicants have until May 1 to accept Middlebury’s offer. - Nicole Pollack
PATTON & SGA TO HOST DINNERS WITH STUDENTS
The college’s Senior Leadership Group and Student Government Association will cohost two dinners with President Laurie L. Patton as part of their Common Agenda. The dinners, which are open to students, will be held on Thursday, April 12 and Monday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m. in Redfield Proctor.
Seating is limited to 100 per dinner and students are asked to bring food from Proctor up to the Redfield Room prior to the discussion.
“The goal is transparency and fostering a stronger sense of the shared work,” said Baishakhi Taylor, the dean of students and interim vice president for academic affairs.
Students can sign up for the dinner at go/pattonconversation. At that go/link, students can also submit topics and questions they would like Patton to discuss and answer. A group of students will sort through the most common suggestions beforehand.
Patton will begin each discussion with comments on the topics submitted. Then members of the Commons and Dean of Students Office teams will facilitate discussions about those topics.
Questions can be sent to sga@middlebury.edu or dos@middlebury.edu. - Will DiGravio
STARBUCKS COFFEE COMES TO WILSON CAFE
Dining services introduced Starbucks coffee to Wilson Cafe over spring break. Starbucks replaced Vermont Coffee Company, which is located in Middlebury. Vermont Coffee Company will continue to supply coffee to Midd Express, Crossroads Cafe, and the dining halls.
The addition is part of the college’s ongoing initiative to improve the retail food locations on campus. As reported in the last issue of The Campus, the college is reinvesting money saved from the swipe system back into other on campus dining options. Students are able to purchase Starbucks coffee with the $25 declining balance they receive on their ID card each semester.
The Campus spoke with students about the implementation. It is still unclear how students will respond to the changes, though many students are excited by the change. But, three students regretted the fact that the college would be moving away from a locally owned company in favor of a national brand. - Elaine Velie
(04/04/18 2:17pm)
FIGURE 1: CITIZENPATH.COM
(04/04/18 9:00am)
The women’s tennis team entered its spring break trip with a 3–0 record after dominating its first three opponents, defeating Tufts 6–3, Colby 9–0, and St. Lawrence 9–0. After continuing its undefeated run in its first three matches in California, No. 5 Middlebury lost for the first time in a 7–2 defeat to No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) on Friday, March 30. But the Panthers rebounded against their former coach, Mike Morgan, and his new team, No. 7 Pomona-Pitzer, with a 7–2 victory on Saturday, March 31, to end the West Coast swing on a high note.
They left the Golden State with a 7–1 record and have set their sights on returning to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps this May for the NCAA tournament, confident despite their first loss of the season.
“We are very excited to continue our season and are hoping that we will be back in California for the NCAA national tournament,” said the team’s No. 1, Katy Hughes ’20, after returning to campus.
A return to Claremont in May is a long ways off, but Middlebury knows the preparation needed to reach that point comes in every moment up until then, and the Panthers are convinced their spring trip will go a long way to achieving that goal. Heather Boehm ’20, one of Middlebury’s regulars in both the singles and doubles lineups, says that she and her teammates returned to Middlebury “closer than ever,” after using the trip to bond as a team.
“We play our best when we feel connected off the court,” said Boehm, after returning to campus from California. “We have more trust in each other than we have ever had, and have learned how much stronger we are together. Even though it is mostly an individual sport, we cannot win alone.”
On the court in California, Middlebury played outside for the first time in 2018 when they faced off with Grossmont on Sunday, March 25. The Panthers had no problem shutting out the Griffins, surrendering only two of 98 games on their way to a 9–0 victory.
The Panthers next travelled to Azusa Pacific to do battle with Cougars, the No. 13-ranked team in the DII polls, on Monday, March 26. Although Middlebury hails from a lower division, the Panthers came out on top with a 7–2 victory. While the Panthers lost individual matches to the Cougars, one in singles and one in doubles, their 7–2 win came in comfortable fashion.
After off-days Tuesday and Wednesday, Middlebury met up with Westmont at Pomona-Pitzer on Thursday, March 29. The Panthers shut out the Warriors 9–0, including dominant wins from two first-years. Emily Bian ’21 won 6–2, 6–1 in the fifth spot, and Ann Martin Skelly ’21 won 6–0, 6–0 at No. 6.
But the going got much tougher for Middlebury the next day, when the Panthers faced off with CMS, who is ranked third nationally. The Athenas entered Friday’s matchup with a 16–2 record, and their only losses came against the reigning NCAA champs, Williams, and last year’s runners-up, Emory.
CMS handed Middlebury its first loss of 2018, as the Panthers fell 7–2. Boehm and Maddi Stow ’20 won Middlebury’s only matches, with Boehm sweeping Caroline Cox 6–3, 6–3 in the No. 4 spot and Stow outlasting Jessie Cruz 7–5, 1–6, 10–8 in the sixth slot.
Unlike many of Middlebury’s matches that they won in dominating fashion, every Panther won several games against CMS, even in defeat.
“Even though we lost to Claremont, every match was close, and with a few more points here and there it could have been an entirely different match,” Boehm said with optimism and confidence in her team.
The Panthers needed to get past their first loss of the 2018 campaign quickly, especially because their next opponent provided another tough test. When they faced Pomona-Pitzer the very next day, they not only went up against the No. 7 team in the country, but they also went up against their former coach, Mike Morgan. Morgan left Middlebury before the fall season began to become the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer.
“It was really great to be able to see our former coach Mike Morgan. He is such a wonderful coach and is doing fabulous things at Pomona,” said Hughes. “He made such an impact on not only each of our tennis games, but more importantly on an individual level. The women’s tennis team will forever remember his contribution to shaping our program.”
While this made for a matchup full of emotion, Middlebury got back on track, defeating the Sagehens 7–2 to cap off spring break and return east to jump into Nescac play with a 7–1 record.
Boehm capped off a fantastic week by beating Summer Garrison 6–0, 6–3 at No. 3. She also paired with Christina Puccinelli ’19 to win 8–4 in No. 3 doubles. Boehm was Middlebury’s only player to play singles in all five matches and win in all five. She also did so without losing a single set, playing in the second, third and fourth singles spots.
Boehm believes her success thus far arises from her fitness, which has been a focus for the entire team in practices.
“The key to my success has been my fitness,” said Boehm. “We have really been working on maintaining that first explosive move throughout the entire match by mixing in different sprints during practice throughout the week. Knowing that I can outlast our opponents definitely gives all of us confidence that we can close out our matches.”
Besides her individual success, Boehm has experienced a rapid rise in doubles, after not making the top-four doubles spot in her first year at Middlebury. She and Puccinelli won four of their five doubles matches in the third spot on the spring trip, and are 7–1 so far this spring.
“Christina has taught me a lot about strategy and has helped me gain confidence playing in third doubles,” Boehm said.
After their loss to Claremont No. 3 pair, Boehm and Puccinelli know what they “need to buckle down on at practice this week.”
Even with Middlebury’s loss to CMS, Hughes was very pleased with Middlebury’s performance in California.
“I am beyond proud of us all,” Hughes said, who went 3–2 in singles and 3–2 in the first doubles slot, paired Skylar Schossberger ’20, in California. “We have worked so hard this year and to see it come together was truly amazing. Everyone competed so hard and played with such grace and integrity.”
After feeling the sting of defeat against CMS, the Panthers’ minds have turned to the practice courts, where they believe their hopes of avenging their loss lie.
“Although it was a tough loss, we are definitely determined to train harder than we have ever trained before to get to that next level,” said Boehm. “We want to get the W next time if we see Claremont again at NCAAs.”
Now, Middlebury turns to the thick of its Nescac schedule, including a showdown with Williams in Williamstown, Massachusetts, two days from now on Saturday, April 7. The Ephs have won eight of the last 10 NCAA championships, including last season’s. In 2017, Middlebury beat Williams in their regular season match then lost to them twice in the postseason: in the Nescac championship match, and in the NCAA semifinals. After winning 6–3 and losing 5–2 in the first two matchups, the Panthers were one win away from defeating Williams in the NCAA semifinals, holding a 4–1 lead, but lost the last four matches as victory slipped away.
In the print edition, this story stated Middlebury lost to Williams all three times in 2017.
(04/04/18 9:00am)
After a small break, the men’s and women’s track teams are beginning their outdoor season. Over spring break, the team participated in the PNLU Collegiate Invitational on Saturday, March 24 and the California Collegiate Open on Saturday, March 31. Both the men and the women did well in these opening meets. Hard work and dedication early on will definitely lead to success later in the season.
At the PNLU Invitational, the men came in first with a score of 155 in an 11-team field. Headlining the Panthers’ efforts were the usual suspects. Nick Hendrix ’20 captured fifth place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.85, and he got second place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.54. Jimmy Martinez ’19 also did well in the 200-meter dash with a fifth-place finish and a time of 21.78.
But Martinez left his biggest mark on the 400-meter race when he finished with a time of 47.78 to capture first place, setting a meet and school record in the process. For his record-breaking performance, Martinez was named Nescac Performer of the Week.
Some other notable performances were second- and third-place finishes by Connor Evans ’19 and Harrison Knowlton ’19, respectively, in the 5000-meter run. Evans had a time of 14:50.96, while Knowlton had a time of 14:56.41. Also, Middlebury’s “A” team for the 4x400-meter relay finished with a time of 3:22.13, which netted them second place. The team consisted of Matthew Durst ’21, Tyler Farrell ’18, Kevin Serrao ’18 and Arden Coleman ’20. Taylor Moore ’20 participated in the javelin throw and placed third; he threw 50.55 meters.
Moore and his teammates looked positively at the meet as a whole.
“I definitely can’t complain about my throws this weekend,” Moore said. “I started with a third-place finish at the opening meet, with a great distance given it was my first time throwing outside all year. The snow at Middlebury had kept us inside up to this point, so San Diego was a great opportunity to get outside and get some real training in. The second meet I had a great day. I actually threw my farthest throw ever, a personal record of 174 feet, which was good enough for a fifth place finish. I’m excited to keep it going through the rest of the season.”
“I think we did an incredible job at our meets this trip,” said Moore. “The men’s team won our first meet at Point Loma, which included two big Nescac rivals, Tufts and Williams. Really set the tone going into training that week and set us up well for the second meet of the trip, hosted by UC San Diego. We did not place as well at this meet due to a combo of better competition and being sore from all the training. That meet had athletes from USC, Louisville, and Wisconsin. [It] was great to see athletes from a higher level compete — it helped us push ourselves.”
The women’s team also performed well at the PNLU Invitational, where they came in second with a score of 114 in a total field of thirteen teams. The first-place team was Point Loma, with a score of 197.
The women did extremely well in the 1500-meter run with three top-10 finishers. Katie Glew ’21 finished second with a time of 4:38.50. Abigail Nadler ’19 and Read Allen ’18 finished in eighth and ninth place with times of 4:45.37 and 4:47.38, respectively. Kate MacCary ’19 had a great-first place finish in the 5000-meter run with a time of 17:13.03. The 4x100m and the 4x400m relay teams both had impressive outings, with times of 49.32 and 4:00.28, respectively, both good for fourth place. The 4x100m relay team consisted of Ellie Greenberg ’20, Kate Holly ’21, Alex Cook ’20 and Lizzie Walkes ’20. The 4x400m relay team comprised Kate McCluskey ’18, Lucy Lang ’19, Anna Willig ’20, and Holly. There were two top-five finishers in the javelin throw. Julia Lothrop ’19 finished in third with a throw of 37.65 meters and was followed by Helene Rowland ’20, whose 35.75-meter throw got her fourth place.
At the California Collegiate Open, the Panthers faced some of the toughest competition they will see this year. The men’s side still managed to finish seventh with a team score of 67. The first-place team was UC San Diego, with a score of 163.5.
At the California Open, the men’s 4x100m relay team finished in fifth place with a time of 43:13. The team consisted of Jackson Bock ’19, Jackson Barnett ’18, Joshua Howard ’19, and Hendrix. In the 800-meter run, Serrao got a time of 1:51.96 to receive second place, and James Mulliken ’18 got a time of 1:53.74 to receive fourth place. Jon Perlman ’19 and Will Meyer ’20 did very well in the 1500-meter run, capturing second and third place, respectively. Perlman had a time of 4:00.09, and Meyer had a time of 4:00.36. There were also three scorers in the 3000-meter steeplechase. These were Theo Henderson ’20 in fifth place, Ascencion Aispuro ’18 in sixth place and Thomas Tarantino ’21 in eighth place.
The women’s squad also found success at the California Open despite the top-notch competition, as they finished in fifth with 46 points. Wisconsin took the top spot in the meet with a score of 179.
McCluskey showed her skill by coming in first in the 400-meter run with a time of 56.18 and by breaking a school record with a time of 25.61 in the 200-meter dash. Willig dominated the 800-meter run by finishing first with a time of 2:12.73. In the 1500-meter race, Nadler placed third with a time of 4:39.16. MacCary and Allen placed sixth and seventh, respectively, with times of 4:45.19 and 4:46.10.
These two meets were great ways to start the season for the track team, and they all look forward to getting started with the outdoor season.
“The team is super excited heading into the outdoor season,” Moore said. “It goes by pretty quick with meets every weekend until the Nescac Championships like a month out. I think we have a good chance at winning it all — we were able to beat Tufts and Williams the first time around, and with our volume of training and positive energy I think we can do it. Go Panthers!”
Hopefully more success will follow. The team will be back in action on Saturday, April 7, when they head south down I-91 toward Amherst, Massachusetts, where they will take part in the Amherst Spring Fling.
(03/22/18 1:39am)
MONTPELIER — On Feb. 14, Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with an AR-15 assault rifle, killing 17 students and wounding 17 more. This act of what Florida governor Rick Scott termed “pure evil” has sparked become a watershed moment, national action for gun control.
On Mar. 14, a month after the massacre, thousands of high school students across the country walked out of their classes to demand action on gun control from Congress. However, the walkout was not limited to high schoolers; many college students joined in support of gun control legislation, including many Middlebury College students and faculty.
Closer to home, a foiled school shooting attempt in Rutland, Vermont also brought gun control to the attention of the Vermont legislature. Just days after the Parkland shooting, Jack Sawyer, a former student of Fair Haven Union High School, plotted to commit a similar shooting there. It was only through a tip to the police from a friend that his intentions were discovered. Sawyer, 18, had purchased a 12 gauge shotgun and had written of his willingness to follow through on the plot in a diary he titled “Journal of an Active Shooter.”
This foiled plot, on top of the Parkland shooting, has brought a great deal of attention to the national conversation about gun control. On the VT Senate floor, Democratic Senator Phil Baruth recently noted that “mass shootings are a viral phenomenon, and Vermont has caught that virus, like every other state in the union.”
In the face of this phenomenon, Vermont’s state house has responded by taking action in the Senate. On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Vermont’s Senate unanimously passed a bill that would permit police to confiscate firearms from any individual whom a court deems an “extreme risk” to either themselves or others. Senate Judiciary chair Dick Sears sponsored the bill and conveyed the impact of recent shootings, telling Seven Days that “Fair Haven jolted us all.”
The widespread support of this bill is another indication of the impact these recent school shootings have had on Vermont; all seven Republican members of Vermont’s Senate voted for this bill. Republican Senator Randy Brock supported the bill along the lines that it was not gun control, but “lunatic-control.” Even Governor Phil Scott’s tone on gun control has been subject to change in the face of these events.
The passage of this “Extreme Risk” bill in the Senate is intimately related to a similar bill passed by the VT House of Representatives a year ago, which would allow police to confiscate firearms from perpetrators of domestic abuse. Sears, who sponsored the “Extreme Risk” bill, was skeptical of the domestic violence bill because of its possible infringement upon due process. His recent bill, therefore, requires a court order before any confiscation can take place.
While the Senate has refused to act on the domestic violence bill since last year, the House added the “Extreme Risk” bill and language from the domestic violence bill to their own H. 675. Lawmakers must now decide on which language to accept or compromise.
While the “Extreme Risk” bill gained a great amount of traction in the Senate, other measures taken in response to the Parkland shooting and Fair Haven plot have not had such united support. On Mar. 1, the Senate narrowly approved an amendment to another bill (S. 55) to include language regarding universal background checks in purchasing firearms. Seven Days reported that the amendment would require the purchaser of a firearm to undergo a federal criminal background check.
This amendment faced some opposition, passing by a vote of 17 to 13. Republican Senator Joe Benning, an opponent of the bill, took the Senate floor to emphasize the ineffectiveness of background checks by reading off a list of school shootings committed by individuals who underwent such checks. Senator John Rodgers also opposed the bill on the grounds that the use of a background check would impose additional costs on those attempting to purchase a firearm.
The day after the Senate’s vote on the universal background check amendment, the Senate passed another measure to S. 55 to increase the age of purchasing guns from 16 to 21. Seven Days reported that the bill was championed by Senate President Tim Ashe with 15 cosponsors. Ashe addressed the Senate, saying that the bill was designed to prevent young people from doing harm to either themselves or others with such dangerous weapons.
This bill passed more comfortably by a vote of 21 to 9; however, it still faced some opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. Senator Benning, who also opposed the amendment to include universal background checks in S. 55, dissented to this measure, likening it to his time protesting the Vietnam War. He recalled that the protests occurred because one could be drafted into the military at 18 but could not vote until 21. It would be similarly outrageous, he said, that one could be drafted into the military while not being able to purchase a firearm. Senator John Rodgers offered a similar critique, saying that by drafting individuals at 18, the government recognizes their maturity.
Gov. Scott has also changed his tone in response to recent events. Seven Days reported that Gov. Scott campaigned on an anti-gun control platform, but has now called for reform. At a press conference on Mar. 1, Gov. Scott said, “I think Vermonters are looking for us to do something.” Taking action, he said, “sends a message that we care, we can put politics aside and do what’s right.” Seven Days reported that Gov. Scott said he would probably support both universal background checks and raising the legal age to purchase firearms to 21.
(03/22/18 1:14am)
Carolyn Barnwell ’07 came to speak on Thursday, March 15 in the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest. Her presentation, “Visual Storytelling for Science and Conservation Impacts,” was part of the Environmental Studies Colloquium and focused on how scientists and conservationists can translate their data into stories to capture the attention of broad audiences.
Having found her love for storytelling in Ethnographic Methods, a course within the Sociology-Anthropology department in Middlebury, Barnwell used her college study-abroad experience to help farmers in Thailand break into the American fair-trade market by journaling and videotaping them and handing out video copies of her encounters to organizations in the US. Following her success in this field, Barnwell graduated in 2007 with a B.A in Human Ecology from the Environmental Studies department. Upon graduation, she continued to pursue her passion for environmental advocacy through the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship on climate change impacts and responses in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 2011, she joined National Geographic as an Associate Producer for the Science and Exploration Media Team and has dedicated her life to helping scientists tell their stories about global and local issues in creative and empathic ways.
Barnwell structured her presentation around the notion that scientists and conservationists often focus their work on statistics and figures that are incomprehensible to the general audience, creating a lack of attention and empathy on environmental topics that affect the greater public. Barnwell believes that in order to create successful communication, scientific stories need to have “empathy, engagement and focus.” She adores the quote, “Communicating science is as important as practicing it” because it captures her belief in the connection between science and storytelling.
Convinced that storytelling is an engrained human ability that allows us to pass on narratives from one generation to the next, Barnwell captured the audience by mentioning that telling stories excite the same hormone, oxytocin, in an individual as falling in love.
However, in order to do so, one needs to be effective in reciting the story and mentioning dry facts will not cut it. To test this out, Barnwell tried two exercises with the audience. First, she mentioned facts about the world’s melting glaciers, followed by another story of her personal experience in Iceland with vivid descriptions of the magnificent mountains and the sea that enchanted her. As her story had no jargon about the polar ice caps and tapped into the human ability to empathize, she believed it was more impactful.
Empathy, to Barnwell, is the ability to meet the emotions of another. Creating stories that empathize often triggers action from audiences. If explored through the lens of a single person, stories tend to be more effective than when generalizing about group events.
In addition to empathy, Barnwell discussed how important it is to focus on concepts for a broad audience. In fact, she said that National Geographic uses a strategy of ensuring that all their scripts are understandable to 12-year olds.
In a world with shorter attention spans, videos and stories need to be concise and precise, as the idea is to capture the audience’s attention and inspire them to search for more knowledge after having watched the video. She presented two videos, the first about the efforts to protect the natural landscape of Gabon and the other on the preservation of the Arctic seas. The former was captured by fellow National Geographic conservationist Mike Fay, whose work created a comprehensive database that they shared with Gabon’s president, leading to the creation of 13 national parks in Gabon and U.S. funding to protect the Congo Basin.
“Through visual storytelling, one can provoke action,” Barnwell said. “Science based conservation cannot have an impact without storytelling. Empathy and focus need to be used to bridge science to a story.” Barnwell believes that one of the most effective ways to do so will be through virtual realities, a system that various conservation groups have been trying to promote for future efforts.
(03/21/18 10:42pm)
As faculty members who helped to spread the word about the Mar. 14 school walkout led by students from the Middlebury Union High School, we were gratified to see such a large turnout this morning from the college community, including President Patton. It is heartening that so many Middlebury students, faculty, staff and other community members joined in solidarity with young people at the forefront of social change.
We are distressed, however, with some of the content of an “all staff” email that our staff colleagues received at 2:00 p.m. on Mar. 13, on the eve of the march.
That email stated that “[the institution’s] obligation is to conduct classes and provide services to our students. In order to provide these services we need all of our scheduled classes taught and offices opened and staffed.” If the leaders of the institution expected scheduled classes to be taught during the walkout, why wasn’t this (or a comparable) note sent to all faculty? Are the expectations about “employees’ engagement in protests and civic activity” different for faculty and staff? If so, why?
The “all staff” email went on to say that “[i]f staff choose to take time off for such activities, they should follow the college’s regular time-off policy by requesting time off in advance, and supervisors should review and approve those requests keeping in mind our need to maintain normal operations.” It is not clear to us that all staff would have had the time — from 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday — to secure such approvals from their supervisors. Moreover, we are concerned about the possibly intimidating effect of this email’s iteration of staff responsibilities, particularly since the email’s ostensible function as a “reminder” about the need to request permission for an absence from work is belied by its timing right before the protest. Furthermore, Middlebury faculty (as far as we know) were certainly not asked to secure permission from their department chairs, program heads and/or the Dean of Faculty to participate in this civic event. Is this a double standard? If so, why is this appropriate?
We do not doubt the sincerity of the email’s final sentiments: “We are supportive of your civic engagement, and encourage you to increase your awareness of the issues of our times.” Indeed, it is precisely because we are certain that the college’s leadership feels this way that we hope, upon the occasion of the next comparable community event, that staff and faculty will be treated in the same manner. Regarding robust civic engagement in the public sphere, the faculty’s status should never be privileged.
Laurie Essig, Gender, Feminist & Sexuality Studies;
Jon Isham, Economics and Environmental Studies;
Michael Sheridan, Sociology/Anthropology;
Marion Wells, English & American Literatures
(03/21/18 10:24pm)
Despite the Vermont cold front, with temperatures hovering in the teens all weekend, the women’s lacrosse team extended its winning streak to five games. The Panthers easily toppled Wesleyan with a dominant 13–1 win on Saturday, March 17, to move to 5–0 on the season and 3–0 in the Nescac.
To completely annihilate No. 12 Wesleyan — who entered Saturday’s matchup looking like a top Nescac competitor after defeating previously-ranked No. 2 TCNJ on Wednesday, March 14 — like Middlebury did took a complete team effort.
Seven Panthers scored on Saturday, as Middlebury outshot Wesleyan 27–5, with the defense doing their job in limiting Cardinal shot attempts. Evie Keating led the defense on her way to Nescac Player of the Week, which she garnered for forcing six turnovers and collecting four ground balls on Saturday.
You could tell the Panthers felt comfortable on their home turf, as they earned a spot on the scoreboard just moments after the first whistle and never lost their lead after that point. Emma McDonagh ’19 proved her position as a leading scorer when she slapped back the first of her four goals of the contest in the first 18 seconds of play. McDonagh doubled the score when she fired another one past the Wesleyan goalie on a free-position shot just minutes later.
Then it was Casey O’Neill ’19 who gave the Panthers a comfortable lead over the Cardinals after capitalizing on another free-position shot. With Middlebury up 3-0 after less than eight minutes of play, the women were not done yet.
Although the returning players were notching point after point on the board, it was Kirsten Murphy ’21 who made the next three goals happen. First, the first-year glided past the Cardinal defense on her own and hammered the ball past Allegra Grant, the visitors’ goalie. She then assumed a playmaking role, assisting both Georgia Carroll ’18 and Emily Barnard ’20.
Less than 17 minutes into the first half, Middlebury led 7–0.
“We talk a lot about playing as a team — our saying for this year is ‘the pack survives’ — and I think that has translated into our playing style on every part of the field,” said Henley Hall ’19. “While lacrosse is often seen as working on individual skills, a lot of it is team cohesion and reflective glory, or feeling like a teammate’s accomplishments are your own. I think we have also been doing a good job of approaching every game with the same mentality and confidence.”
McDonagh kept the Panthers’ first half momentum going on a free position shot to give herself a hat trick and to increase the Middlebury advantage to seven goals.
The Panthers closed out the half with three more goals, silencing the Cardinals’ hopes until the final 30 minutes of play. Carroll found her second goal of the contest, followed by Jenna McNicholas ’19, who took advantage of a strong assist from Murphy. With under three minutes to go, Barnard successfully breezed past the visitors and knocked in the final goal of the half.
Even though the freezing winds persisted, Middlebury did not let the icy air interfere with their second half of play. McDonagh once again led off the scoring, tallying her 10th goal of the season. After about 40 minutes of unsuccessful Wesleyan attempts to seep past the Panther defense, the Cardinals finally broke through. Abby Manning found the back of the net, despite an impressive attempt at a save by Middlebury goalie Julia Keith ‘20. About three minutes later, Middlebury had a response when O’Neill raced by the Cardinals to extend Middlebury’s double-digit lead. Kate Zecca ’20 completed the competition when she clubbed a shot back in, giving the Panthers a 13–1 victory.
Keith once again protected the net with skill, rejecting four Cardinal balls from her cage.
Middlebury will open its spring break with a matchup against Bowdoin at home on Saturday, March 24, at 12 p.m. The Panthers are seeking revenge after falling by one goal in overtime to their conference rivals around this time last year.
“While we have executed well against all the teams we have played so far, playing Wesleyan this past Saturday was an opportunity for us to take our game to the next level, and I think fortunately we were really able to do that and show ourselves how much potential we have,” said Hall. “We’re going into this week of practice with a lot to be proud of and a lot to work on, and we’re going to prepare for the Bowdoin game just as we do every other game. We’re excited to kick off our spring break trip with a competitive Nescac game.”
(03/21/18 10:16pm)
Last season the softball team finished 17–14–1 overall and 4–8 in the Nescac, placing the Panthers third in the Nescac West standings and six games out of the conference playoffs. Middlebury loses five seniors from that 2017 team to graduation, but the returners and newcomers are confident that this year’s edition of Middlebury softball can overcome its small roster size of 13 players to play to the best of its ability, hopefully returning to the Nescac playoffs in the process. After five straight trips to the Nescac playoffs, from 2011 to 2015 — including its only Nescac championship and NCAA tournament berth in 2011— the softball team has not made it to the postseason each of the last two years.
Leading the way this season will be senior captains Kati Daczkowski ’18, Ali Della Volpe ’18, Taylor Gardner ’18 and Allison Quigley ’18.
Last season, Quigley pitched in 18 games, starting 15 of those, and posted a 2.27 earned run average and 63 strikeouts in 98.2 innings. She finished sixth in the Nescac in ERA and seventh in strikeouts.
Daczkowski, Della Volpe and Gardner all played in 30 of Middlebury’s 32 games last season, primarily in the field — although Gardner chipped in 19.1 innings on the mound.
Daczkowski played in the outfield last season. In 85 plate appearances, she posted a .482 on-base percentage, finishing fourth in the Nescac in that category, while also recording a .368 batting average.
Della Volpe played both in the outfield and in the infield at second base last season. She hit .280 and stole a team-high six bases.
Gardner played mostly at second and third base, with a dash of pitching mixed in. Gardner finished tied for third on the team with 10 doubles, the second-most of any returning Panther, providing some pop for a Middlebury team that struggled to score runs in Nescac play.
Melanie Mandell ’20 will provide Middlebury’s biggest bat, after hitting .439 to go with three home runs, 12 doubles, and three triples last season. Mandell made the All-Nescac first team last season as a first-year. She had the second-best batting average among qualifying hitters in the conference, and the third-best slugging percentage (.714).
Mandell’s fellow sophomores Marybeth Stone ’20 and Olivia Bravo ’20 also plan to build on their strong first seasons in the blue in white, when they hit .405 and .380, respectively.
Although there are only 13 players on this season’s team, the captains emphasize small numbers play to their advantage, as they have grown closer as a team this school year.
“We have the best team chemistry we’ve had in years,” said Daczkowski. “We are a small team, so everyone has to go above and beyond to make up for the lack of bodies. No one can afford to slack.”
Quigley is convinced Middlebury’s small group is extremely versatile, motivated, and driven to get the best out of itself.
“We’re lucky to have a group of players who are willing and able to play more than one position. We have a group who isn’t afraid to push one another and strive to get the best out of themselves and their teammates,” said Quigley.
Middlebury’s 4–8 Nescac record in 2017 seems bad on the surface, but the Panthers lost a lot of close games, as four of their eight losses were by two runs or fewer and only two were by more than four runs. The Panthers ended their season by losing their last three games to eventual Nescac champion Williams 1–0, 5–1 and 3–1, showing they could hang with the conference’s best in three consecutive games.
The Panthers struggled to score runs in the Nescac last season, as they scored only 42 in 12 games, tied with Wesleyan for the fewest in the West division.
But Della Volpe agrees with Quigley that Middlebury has a balanced roster entering this season, with strengths on the mound and at the plate.
“We have a great pitching staff and have a strong hitting lineup,” said Della Volpe. “We have a lot of players who can hit for power, while also having some players who can put pressure on the defense with their speed and skill.”
After dedicating themselves to their craft in the offseason, Della Volpe is confident Middlebury will be able to hit the ground running this spring, even as the Panthers figure out how to fill the missing pieces left by last year’s graduating class.
“We have some underclassmen who are ready to step up and fill [the graduated seniors’] shoes this year,” Della Volpe said, “We have been working hard as a team to be strong and fit this year, to both prevent injuries and be in the best shape possible. We have also focused a lot on our communication and teamwork on defense, and worked on our mindset when we are at the plate.”
Because of numbers, Middlebury team will look to its underclassmen, including first-years Claire Tipler ’21, Emily Morris ’21, Kaylee Gumm ’21, and Emily Moore ’21, to step into the shoes of players lost to graduation.
The whole squad has high hopes, starting with their spring training trip to Florida.
“Our goals are to start the season off strong in Florida, and then come in and win our NESCAC games,” Della Volpe said.
“Our goal is to just win and have fun,” added Quigley. “The other seniors [and I] want to go out on a high note.”
The Panthers will first hit the field on Friday, March 23 in Clermont, Florida, for their season opener against Allegheny. They will play 10 games in Florida over spring break before returning to Vermont to play a doubleheader at Norwich on Friday, March 30. They begin Nescac play on April 6 and 7, when the Panthers travel to Amherst for a three-game series.
(03/21/18 10:06pm)
In its first away game against a ranked opponent, the men’s lacrosse team (2–2) lost 13–10 to the No. 8 Wesleyan Cardinals (4–1) on Saturday, March 17, in Middletown, Connecticut. After trailing 8–4 at halftime, the Panthers cut the deficit to one goal in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals scored the last two goals of the game to give Middlebury its second loss of the season.
The first quarter seesawed, as the Panthers had an answer for every Wesleyan goal. The hosts got on the scoreboard less than three minutes into the match, which Middlebury’s A.J. Kucinski ’18 matched 33 seconds later. The Cardinals restored a one-goal lead at the 6:43 mark. Michael McCormack ’19 had the answer this time when he scored just 26 seconds later, after assisting on the first goal for Middlebury.
After a Wesleyan goal with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter, it looked like Wesleyan would take a one-goal lead into the break, but Danny Jacobs ’18 found the back of the net with just four seconds on the clock to tie the game at three.
The opponents traded goals to start the second quarter, as Henry Riehl ’18 scored an unassisted goal to bring the score to 4–4.
But Wesleyan rattled off four unanswered goals in the latter half of the second quarter to take an 8–4 lead into the locker room, doubling its scoring output from the first 22:40 in a span of 7:40.
Middlebury emerged from the locker room rejuvenated and outscored the hosts 5–2 in the third quarter to cut the lead to one goal entering the final quarter. The Panthers scored back-to-back goals within the first 2:09 of the quarter to make their first move of the half. McCormack tallied his second goal of the game, and Wes Quinzani ’18 scored his first off a feed from Riehl.
Wesleyan came back with two goals of its own to restore its four-goal lead, but Middlebury ended the quarter with a flourish, producing three goals to make the score 10–9 entering the fourth and final quarter. Riehl scored the first two goals of the run, completing his hat trick, and Chase Goree ’20 stamped his name on the scorecard with his first tally to bring Middlebury within one.
Behind by only one goal, the Panthers put themselves in position to complete their comeback and earn their first road win. Wesleyan scored first in the fourth quarter, at the 11:23 mark. Four minutes later, Frank Cosolito ’18 drove home a powerful shot from 15 yards out to cut the lead back down to one, 11–10.
After goalie Chase Midgely ’19’s save with 7:43 left, Middlebury had an opportunity to tie the game. But Jacobs hit the post, and the Wesleyan netminder saved shots from Riehl and Kucinski to keep Wesleyan in front.
Then, Wesleyan scored twice in the final four minutes to seal its 13–10 victory over Middlebury. With the win, the Cardinals stayed undefeated in the Nescac. Along with Amherst and Tufts, they are one of three unbeaten teams left in the conference. Middlebury fell to 1–2 in the Nescac and stand in a four-way tie for sixth place in the conference.
Riehl’s three goals brought his team-leading total to 10, while McCormack bolstered his team-leading points total with two goals and two assists.
After playing in only one game last season, McCormack entered his junior campaign having played in only 16 games, scoring one goal and assisting on three in his first two years. This season, he has started in all four of Middlebury’s games, scored eight goals, and assisted on five more to lead the Panthers with 13 points.
After a mid-week victory on Tuesday, March 20, over Plattsburgh, the Panthers aim to rebound in the Nescac, as they head to Brunswick, Maine, to face the Bowdoin (2–2) on Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m. Like Middlebury, the Polar Bears are 1–2 in the conference and lost 8–6 Conn. College earlier this month. Bowdoin’s other Nescac loss came in a 16–15 shootout with Amherst, who remains unbeaten in conference play.
